Introduction to the Turkish Uprising

Introduction to the Turkish Uprising

“Last week a group of protesters started guarding action after some trees were taken down illegally in the name of urban gentrification projects. In the second day of the protest, very early in the morning, the police attacked the protesters heavily with gas bombs, pressured water and plastic bullets and wounded many protesters. A spark began against this event of state terrorism and spread across the country turning into a massive action and organized the big revolt. The public organized against increasing attacks, state terrorism and police violence and have been turning the streets into the area of resistance.” – Devrimci Anarşist Faaliyet (DAF) / Revolutionary Anarchist Action

Turkish union activist on the Turkish uprising

A Turkish union delegate from the Şişli municipality janitors department says the Gezi Park and Taksim demonstrations are “the result of the explosion of 10 years worth of discontent caused by loss of rights.”

He says education and healthcare are “in serious paralysis”, students find it difficult to get higher education, the rights of public sector workers have been removed, union organising continues to be repressed and women continue to be murdered and be the subject of violence.

“The Gezi Park protests have signaled how successful we can be as people who defend democracy and freedoms as part of a united front…”, he says. “[Erdoğan] may have cleared Taksim with a high level of police violence and militarist force, but this spark here in Taksim has now spread to all the streets of Istanbul, and all streets of Turkey and even beyond.”

Turkish anarchist on the Turkish uprising

Turkish anarchist Sevinc gives a 45 minute interview on the context behind the Gezi park struggle and police repression. She touches on the Turkish left and anarchist movement, LGBT and Kurdish struggles, and the role of the “Ultras”, army and police. Sevinc recently migrated to Ireland where she has joined the Worker’s Solidarity Movement (WSM).